kentwired.com | Enrollment increase leads to more students in some dorm rooms

Enrollment increase leads to more students in some dorm rooms

Written by Samantha Worgull Friday, 05 February 2010 00:04

Five dorms to offer triples next semester.

With an 11.6 percent increase in enrollment and the two-year rule of living on campus, the halls were eventually going to get overcrowded.

Even a resident assistant, Sarah Papcun, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences this past fall, had to share her room last semester in Wright Hall.

“I think that there are things that need to happen within the Department of Residence Services as well as on-campus to make the problem of overcrowding in the halls fixable,” Papcun said.

Residence Services addressed Papcun’s concerns when students like her participated in a large-scale survey last fall. The question they focused on was whether students would be willing to pay a reduced price to live in a triple room and share a private bath.

The results: more than 50 percent responded that they would be interested in the triples.

So in Fall 2010, residence services will be offering 150 triples in Stopher/Johnson and Centennial Court D, E and F.

“This was the specific question that heavily influenced the decision to offer three person rooms with private bath for the upcoming academic year,” David Taylor, senior assistant director of resident services, said.

Students also received an informational e-mail Jan. 30 explaining the 2010/2011 Residence Hall Contract Renewal process and the changes being made to the dorms, David said.

Starting Feb. 1 at 8 a.m., students were able to renew their contract and choose the “same room/same hall” option if they paid a $200 housing pre-payment.

The “same room/same hall” option was not available for all. Students living in Korb Hall this spring will not be able to request the same room. Next fall, Korb Hall will house freshmen in double occupancy rooms and be a part of the First Year Experience Program.

Also next fall, Centennial Court B will be for College of Health and Human Services students only.

According to Residence Services, students currently living in these rooms will be prioritized in choosing their new room, provided they paid the $200 housing pre-payment while renewing their contract.

Those students choosing to move to a new hall were given a date and time that they would be allowed to sign up for a room.

Room selection will be based on class standings, starting with graduates and seniors. Sophomores and freshmen will be prioritized based on when they turned in their housing applications.

With Kent State’s active house council program in the halls, as well as the larger umbrella organization of Kent Interhall Council, occupancy demands are expected to be met.

“We invest a significant amount of money into our facilities to try to add extra value to the on-campus experience,” Taylor said. “We are striving to create an inclusive community that becomes more than simply a place to sleep at night.”

Contact room and board reporter Samantha Worgull at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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And another thing...
written by moneygrubber, February 06, 2010

Even the privately owned rental units off Campus fall under building/zoning code ordinances that mandate the population density of any given development. Maybe Residence Services found some extra room when they 'trashed' all the ill-conceived trash compacters they bought for the Centennial development; last time I saw that property, paid for by Residence Services dollars, they were all sitting in the old bus garage waiting to be sold for scrap.

From one state institution to another.
written by moneygrubber, February 06, 2010

Don't most of the 'rooms' on Campus fall under the State Fire Code? I believe everything from class rooms to the cafeterias have occupancy limits per square footage set by same; ie it's posted on the wall of the Training Room at Campus Environment & Operations. Only so many folk allowed within at any given time.

...
written by Darm, February 06, 2010

According to Lefton, there's housing specialists coming in to assess the situation, but since the 250 million dollar renovation campaign doesn't involve residence halls (different budget), I doubt that we'll see them put in new buildings anytime soon. They say down the road they wouldn't be able to fill the halls they'd have to build now.

Ideal situation would be to build 3 new buildings. when enrollment goes down (which I doubt it will...) they can sell single rooms in the older dorms, and then when they can't even fill that, tear the oldest ones down and leave the lots empty until they're needed again... may it be for offices, residence halls or academic buildings.

Have they actually seen the inside of the dorms?
written by ..., February 06, 2010

I live in Centennial D and there is not enough physical space to actually contain another bed, dresser, desk and shelving units. It would be so crowded it would be miserable. They need to bring someone out here with a measuring tape to see for themselves. Yes the rooms are nice, but they aren't that roomy.

They need to make an agreement with the apartment owners for housing, until they can build more dorms- preferably a high-rise.

...
written by Trish, February 06, 2010

Wow! It's like Fall 1981 all over again! My first semester of Freshman year, many freshmen had to live in triples. And I'm hoping that a better job of matching roommate personalities is done now than it was in the past, because it can end up as two roommates against one, as it did so often when I lived on campus. I ended up moving out a few weeks into the semester, and lived for the next three years in the now defunct Metcalf Hall. That proved to be a better match for me. Good luck!

Funny
written by Blake Ferguson, February 06, 2010

If we have dorm overcrowding, then why did they tear down the small group dorms?

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written by Aaron Hanlin, February 05, 2010

Sarah lived in Koonce, not Wright.

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